Over the Mountain
by TheFreelancerSeal
Summary: As she ponders her upcoming marriage, Nori begins to wonder what will become of her when her new life will bring changes that she had never considered.


**A/N:** So I branch out once again. First, Shadow of the Colossus, then Castlevania, Lost in Blue, and now Harvest Moon. After playing Tale of Two Towns for a while, this idea just hit me, especially since you can move from town to town. I didn't do it after I got married, but I wondered if you could. So, the idea started taking shape. Plus, I've never seen any stories with Nori on the site.

Yes, I know that the character's default name is Jack, but for just about all my HM games, I named him Luke, although I did call him Harry in AWL.

Enjoy.

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**Over the Mountain**

The farm door opened slowly, and Nori stepped outside to begin her daily chores, although she knew that it would not matter. Even at mid-morning, the summer sun glared down on her and the entire town for that matter. Nori wiped away the few beads of sweat already forming on her brow as she slowly walked the short distance to her grandfather's fields. It struck Nori as funny when she realized that she had not even started her work, and she already felt as if she had toiled all day under that harsh sun. It was more true to call such a thing a case of irony rather than humor, and she silently admitted it. With her rake in hand, she stopped in front of one of the rows and began to loosen the soil. At the start of the season, she thought they had planted tomatoes in this row, but she doubted she would know for sure when she observed the uniformity of the dried leaves.

Nori could not remember when she had seen a hotter summer. The rains had been scarce all throughout the spring, and it seemed worse under that blazing sun. The streams that ran through Konohana had fallen short of their banks. She only had to look up to see the deep trench of mud that had once been where she had gathered water for the garden. Nori sighed in weariness and sadness when she thought of what such endless heat had done to their crops.

Their spring wheat had died just as it was starting to come up. Her cucumber plants had turned brown just before the harvest. Now, it was half-way through summer, and she doubted they would reap any sort of reward for their dutiful efforts. Dropping the rake, Nori set about watering the rows with what little water she could gather. She looked at the withering leaves of what was once her attempt at growing pineapple, and the brown, fragile vines that were the product of her tomato seeds. She knew it was useless to try to keep her crops watered; they were all as good as dead.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered as she continued her work. Nori had not seen a drought during her young life, although she had heard that her village had endured summers like this once. She had never thought she would see a season that rewarded her daily efforts with nothing, and it pained her to have that experience now. But it was not only the loss of her farm's harvests that concerned her. Another matter also held her attention. She was so lost in thought over it that she did not even notice the creaking of the farmhouse door or the crunching of dried grass underfoot. She leaped slightly as she felt a finger tap her on the shoulder, and a slight yelp escaped her mouth.

"It's only me," came the familiar voice of Gombe, her grandfather. Nori turned to face him, and a small frown appeared on her face. Her hands rested on her hips, and her eyes narrowed as they met his.

"You scared me," she snapped, trying hard to cool the added heat of aggravation that was now beating down inside her. While Gombe's often-childish antics could often amuse her, today Nori only felt angry with him, although she felt ashamed at having spoken to him so harshly.

"You should know better than to just stand there then," he answered, sounding as if he didn't have a care in the world. "You should also learn to cool down more often. It'll make you live longer. I'll bet you'll be as old as I am if you'd learn to take it easy," he added, lightly waving a finger towards his granddaughter. Nori closed her eyes, holding her hands in front of her in a rather sad way.

"I'm sorry I sounded the way I did, Grandpa. I know I shouldn't have snapped at you, and I don't know why I did."

"Oh, don't worry," Gombe answered gently, keeping his shoulders slouched, as they did not have a weight to bear. "I know you didn't mean it, and I know why you did it," he added, looking behind his granddaughter at the fields behind her. "I know you've been worried lately, and I bet anyone would be that on edge if they had to keep working on dying crops. I'm pretty on edge myself, if you can believe that. But I've lived through worse. But you still should learn to take it easier."

"I wish I could, Grandpa. I wish I could," Nori sadly replied. Gombe inched his head slowly forward and put a hand on his hip, as he often did when something had displeased him.

"Don't tell me you're going to let this get to you, Nori. After all, you should be happy. You're going to be a married woman in about four days. Luke's not going to want to have his new bride frowning when she says, 'I do.'"

Nori repeated the last two words in her head: four days. The two words continued to sound and resound in her mind, and she felt herself shudder at the thought. In four days, her life would change in ways she could not begin to imagine. In four days, she would take vows with the farmer who had moved in those three years ago. In four days, she would be a wife, but that was not the thought that frightened her the most. Once she and Luke were married, she would be saying words she never once thought she would ever say to her grandfather; she would say good-bye, not only to Gombe but to Konohana as well. As she pondered these things, she did not hear the elderly farmer calling her name.

"Nori," he said. Still, she did not move. She could only stand where she did, with one finger idly resting beneath her chin and her eyes vacant to the world around her. "Nori," he repeated.

"What?" Nori said, unsure of how long she had stayed so quiet.

"You just started staring off," Gombie answered. "I said Luke isn't going to want to see you frowning when he carries you off, and no granddaughter of mine is going to wear a frown to her wedding."

"Did you have to mention the wedding, Grandpa?" she asked sadly. "I've tried not to think about it."

"I bet you've done nothing but think about it. Have you talked to him?"

It surprised Nori that her grandfather had asked a question like that. She had never known him to take a good deal of any matter seriously, but she supposed that he understood the importance of the coming marriage, because she was the closest thing he had to a daughter at this point in his life.

"I can't talk to him. I just can't...not about this."

"Oh, and why not? He's not that bad, Nori. I think you should give it a try, don't you? After all, I wouldn't have let you get engaged if I thought he wasn't good for you. "When she did not answer, he went on."Nori, why not go and have some fun today? Forget the crops for once; chances are we'll be using them to fertilize the fields for fall anyway instead of harvesting them."

"But Grandpa," she protested.

"You've only got so many days to relax with the work we do, and you'll probably have less after you're a wife. Besides, when you get to be my age, Nori, you learn to enjoy them. Go on down by the river; you love that spot. Go be as wild as you were when you just a little thing. Get your mind off things. Then go talk to Luke."

She stood there for moment, but Gombe gently took her by the arms and turned her about so that her face looked away from the farm. When she still hesitated, he gave her a slight nudge. Nori began to walk. She took about three steps before she paused to look back. Gombe still stood in the same spot, beaming as he looked in her direction. His smile was contagious, for she even felt her lips spreading into the same wide grin. Finally, she started to go, but still kept her head turned to look back at him.

"You weren't going to let me get engaged at first, anyway, Grandpa," she teased.

"Oh, yes I was. I just wanted to see if Luke would want to put up with me as an in-law. Now, go on."

Nori took one last look over her shoulder, and with her grandfather's smile still lingering on her face, she let her feet take her up the dirt road toward the forest.

Despite the unyielding heat, Nori felt her spirits rise as she walked along the streets of Konohana. She knew there was no reason for such a lightened mood, but the advice of her grandfather, careless as it was, seemed worth following. She needed time to herself and not merely time to think on how her life was about to change. It would have seemed strange to do so in the middle of a drought, but Nori thought she could even whistle to herself as she walked. She began to purse her lips, but at once, she reconsidered. For one thing, she had never whistled before, and she doubted she would be very good at it. She also thought that her neighbors might not think well of her if she appeared too happy when the entire village was in such a state of need. All the same, the thought of idling the day in the forest was too pleasing to ignore any sense of gladness.

As she went along the earthen path, she found her eyes wandering down the western road that led to the farm of her fiancé, and at once, her face fell. Whatever lighthearted thoughts that had earlier grown in her mind quickly dried up like the crops she'd planted under the burning sun.

Her thoughts went back to three days ago, when Luke had come to her farm. When she had seen the look on his face, she knew he hadn't come for a simple visit. At first, she had hoped he had only wanted to discuss their upcoming wedding since he had proposed earlier that morning. Nori could not forget, even now, the day when he handed her the blue feather in the middle of this burning season; oh, how it still made her heart flutter when she thought of it. But as he'd approached to her, she saw that his face was not at all the same from the one he had worn when he handed the feather to her. No, this face was solemn and the gleam in Luke's eyes was now vacant.

He had taken Nori by the hand, she recalled, and asked if they could talk. His request had left her quite surprised and uncertain, even though they had often gone off to talk before their engagement. Despite her unease about his visit, she followed him as he brought her back to his farm. He had showed her his ruined fields, but she was not at all surprised at the site. While his fellow townsmen considered Luke wealthy, Nori knew most of his money had gone to building up his farm. She had listened as he explained how poorly the season had treated his wheat, his corn, and his watermelon. At first, she had worried that he was about to ask for the feather back as he continued to tell her of the sad state of the farm, but he had made no such request. Instead, he had sighed heavily.

"Things will get better, Luke," she had told him with a voice filled with hope, but Luke seemed to ignore her. When he remained quiet, Nori had continued."You didn't have a good harvest this season, but maybe next season will turn out better. Maybe by then we'll start getting rain."

"I can't wait for next season, Nori," he had answered. "I put most of my money into these crops, and with this drought, I'll be lucky if I can afford to buy enough seeds to keep this farm going. Even if I could, I can't wait for things to get better, not with the wedding coming. I don't want my new wife wondering if I can put food on the table for us."

"You could always borrow money from Ina if you need it. She's a good woman, and I'm sure that she would lend it to you. She probably wouldn't mind if you took your time paying it back."

"I will not go into debt," Luke had said resolutely.

Her heard had sank as he'd said those words. At that point, she had been certain, beyond any doubt, that he would call off their marriage. She had braced herself for that dreaded request; Luke had only taken her hands and looked her in the eyes.

"I love you, Nori, and I've given this a lot of thought. I've been taking trips over to Bluebell. It seems that they're doing better than Konohana. I don't know how, but somehow their livestock are doing well. It's like they're getting what's left of the rain before it gets over the mountain. I want you to move there with me after the wedding. I've even talked to your grandfather, and though it took some time to convince him, he's going to let me take you."

Nori ran as fast as she could if only so she could have the sight of the old farm road out of her eyes. She didn't stop running until she had left her village behind her, only allowing her steps to slow as she found the edge of the forest and the path began sloping gently as it reached the foot of the mountain. She hated to have that conversation repeating over and over again, but she could not help but permit it. It had kept her awake for the past three nights. She had not given Luke an answer that day; she had only told him she needed some time to think. Since then, she had tried to avoid seeing him, if she could manage it.

She came to a stop and braced her hands against her knees, panting heavily from the heated sun above her and her sprinting. She couldn't remember the last time she had run that fast. She thought of how wild she was as a child. Often, she had run from place to place, and had more than enough energy for an entire day. Yes, she was quite rambunctious as a little girl, but as a young woman, she found that she had mellowed somewhat, almost like one of her summer melons that had stayed too long on the vine.

When Nori had caught her breath, she stood straight, and looked around the place where she had often come in her younger days. Like her hometown, the mountain area was also dry. The normally green grass had browned, and it felt hard even through the soles of her shoes. The little river had also drawn back from its bank, leaving dried mud behind it. At the sight of the dying land around her, Nori felt sadder than she had earlier at her farm. Outside of the thoughts of the land, she knew there was more for her to feel sad about. Walking slowly to the bank, Nori sat down, caring little for the dirt that would cling to her kimono.

She buried her face in her hand, but did not cry. All she could think about was the coming departure from all that she held dear. She didn't know why, but she was afraid of the wedding's aftermath. While Bluebell and Konohana were on better terms than they were before Luke had entered into their lives, each town still held a grip on the petty quarrel that kept them separated. She wondered if they would welcome her or greet her with unfriendly faces. Nori also wondered what she might have to change about herself to live in such a different town. Would she have to dress differently, act differently, and cook differently than she did here? She had pondered each of these questions, but more than any of these discouraging notions, her thoughts remained on her grandfather.

Gombe was a child at heart, but he was still elderly. Living in Konohana, she could still look in on him as she wished. And though Bluebell wasn't far, the mountain seemed to place more distance between her grandfather, and her. What would she do if something should happen to him? Nori could not bear that thought. As she sat there alone on the bank, she wondered if it was still wise to go through with the marriage.

She loved Luke. She loved him more than any other man she had known before him, and nothing would please her more than to spend a lifetime with him as his wife. But could she give up all she had ever known for him? She wondered what he might say or do if she asked him to delay their wedding until Konohana was again fruitful. Would he still leave? He had his own welfare to attend to, after all. Or worse, if he did, would he find someone else to love in Bluebell? Nori wished she could know for certain. She had seen nothing of the women of the other town, but Luke had during his visits. Perhaps, he might find one of them more willing to marry him if she delayed.

At once, she heard the continuous crunching of grass and the familiar clopping of hooves. She looked up to see Luke's cart coming near with his gray pony leading it. Sure enough, Luke sat in the seat, the reins in his hands. It didn't take long for his eyes to fall on her; the pink gown she wore set her well apart from the dulled yellow of the landscape. Normally, Nori would have run to him and greeted him with a light kiss, but she remained where she sat.

Luke halted the pony, and after getting down from his seat, walked to her. Nori looked towards him as he neared. His blue farm clothes were gone, replaced by the outfit worn by the animal workers of Bluebell. She looked past him to see that his cart was loaded with furniture, and she gave a heavy sigh. Her fiancé came to a stop only a few inches from where she sat. She could not look into the smile on his face, but if she had, she would have seen it fade.

"I guess I have to ask for that kiss you used to give me," Luke said, trying to sound humorous. The tension in the air was as thick as the heat, and Nori was sure he had hoped to ease it. She, on the other hand, did not find any humor in his words. She instead looked back to the drying river. "Are you sick, Nori?" he asked, now full of concern over her persistent silence.

"No," she answered softly, lightly shaking her head.

Silence followed once until she felt his hip against hers; he had sat down beside her. His arm lightly came around her, and his other hand gently lifted her chin. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I haven't seen a face that sad since I accidentally made you my contest-winning curry dish."

Nori had to laugh only because she could not help herself, and a weak smile appeared on her face at the memory. Luke hadn't known she didn't have the taste for such a spicy meal, and both she and her grandfather had never asked him to cook his curry at their house since, even though it was a clear winner in every contest he had entered. They had laughed later, after he had spent countless hours trying to make up for it.

"There's that smile I know," said Luke, noticing it. He lightly kissed her cheek, and she felt the smile grow, although she knew she was not any happier for it. "Now, come on; tell me what's wrong. You know you're not supposed to keep secrets from your husband."

"But you're not my husband yet, Luke," she answered, hoping she could manage to say something that would also lighten the mood. Her voice seemed lighter, although Nori did not at all feel like making jokes. She did not want to worry him further, and so she had tried to sound less solemn.

"I'm close enough. In four days, it'll be official. Besides, you've been doing your best to avoid me since I told you I planned to move us to Bluebell; I thought you were getting cold feet. Come on, Nori, please tell me."

"Is there furniture in your cart?" She did not even bother to look him in the eye when she asked the question.

Luke cocked his head slightly before looking back towards his cart "...Yeah, Ina and I have it all settled. I'm trying to get a few things taken over there for the new house, and she'll keep an eye on the rest. I was hoping I could start moving some of your things from your house before the wedding." He gently laid his hand across Nori's hunched back. "Please, don't change the subject. I want to know why you're so down. Please, talk to me."

Luke's words brought Gombe's to mind, and Nori found herself at last looking her future husband in the eyes. As she thought about the advice her grandfather had given her, she began wondering if she should tell Luke. She knew it was for the best, but she did not know how to could say it. She looked into his face, and then back to the dry riverbed. Slowly, she brought her eyes back to Luke's. Nori took a deep breath and clutched his hand. All at once, words began to pour from her mouth, and she had no control over them at all.

"I'm scared, Luke! I know you think that you can't stay here, but why can't we? I've lived here since I was little, and now we're planning on leaving. What if they don't like me? What if _you_ don't once we get there? And what were you thinking about grandpa? I can't just leave him alone! I mean, I know I'd be leaving him anyway, but that was before you told me you were moving us over the mountain. I'm scared of how our lives will change in Bluebell. What if we never come back, Luke? This town is a part of both of us, and I can't bear to leave. I was already nervous about being married, and now I have to be nervous about living somewhere else. That's a lot to worry about in so short a time!"

At once, Nori held a hand to her mouth. She had never spoken in so hurried a way, and no one had ever known her to speak like that. But she supposed that the days spent avoiding a conversation she knew had to take place had a hand in it. Nori wondered if a leaky dam felt anything like the way she felt now, having given up holding back her words, thoughts, and cares. Her hand fell slowly away from her mouth, and Nori breathed heavily, wondering if Luke still enjoyed the wild side she had once told him she had. To her surprise, Luke only smiled and gently caressed her shoulder where his hand had come to rest.

"I don't blame you, Nori," he said. "I don't blame you for being scared. I wish you had told me this sooner though." She began to stammer out a response, but Luke gently quieted her. "If it makes you feel better, I've been nervous too. I'm a farmer, not a rancher. I've raised crops, not livestock. But I don't know what else to do. As for them not liking you, I don't think you need to worry. Besides, if they have a problem with my wife, they'll have problems with me."

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do. And I don't know where you could get the idea that I would stop liking you. I love you. I've told you that ever since I proposed to you."

"I don't know where I got that idea either. It just slipped out," she said with a sheepish face. He again placed a soft kiss on her cheek, if only to reassure her.

"And as for how our lives will change, they probably will. But don't worry about us not coming back to Konohana. Like I said, I'm a farmer. I've lived as one for three years, and I intend to die as one too. So don't worry," he added, placing his fingers under her chin. "We'll come back, just as soon as we can. I'll even take you back to look in on your grandfather whenever you want. So, what do you think of that?"

Nori's face brightened as a feeling of great relief fell upon her like a much-needed rain. Still gazing into the face of her husband-to-be, her hands met, and she lifted them under her chin as a small, but undeniably happy, smile spread across her face. And when Luke again asked the question, Nori replied by throwing both arms around him, and burying her face into the fabric of his shirt. They held each other for what felt like hours, before Luke broke from her embrace and stood. "Now, that that's settled, why don't we go wading?"

"But the river is almost mud, and even that's almost dry," she weakly objected. Luke could tell she was not at all opposed to the idea, and he smiled wryly at her.

"So?" he answered. "There's still some water left. Besides, I'm hot enough as it is under this sun, and I'll take whatever I can find that's cool." He was already up and had his shoes off before Nori could give any reply or further objection. Watching him race around in the mud and shallow pools, she could hardly resist herself, and moments later, she carelessly tossed her own shoes aside and joined him.

They ran, laughed, and splashed each other with what few handfuls they could find. In places where the water had only just receded, the mud was sticky, and they laughed at the tickling sensations. All the while, Nori seemed to forget all that was soon to happen, and she thought that it would last much longer than it did earlier that day. When they thought they could spare no more water, Nori hurled a ball of mud at Luke, and he replied with another. They lost count of how long they had carried on, but by the time they had finished, Luke's outfit and Nori's kimono were in need of a good washing, as they did as well.

Later, after they had lost all track of time, they returned to the banks. Forgetting his load, Luke climbed onto his cart and offered a hand to Nori, and she accepted. Sitting down on the small seat beside him, she remained quiet as he turned the horse back towards Konohana. She leaned against his arm as the pony pulled the cart along. Luke occasionally shot tender glances towards her as they let the animal take its time in returning, while she did not permit her head to leave its place.

That night, after a short bath and after she had put Gombe to bed, Nori could only lie awake. She continued to think of the talk she and Luke had shared by the river, and the words he had left her with as he walked her to her door. He had walked the short distance to her house with her hand clasped in his.

"I just want you to know," he said, just before they parted ways. "I do love you, Nori. And I promise that we'll come back here. Like I said, I'm a farmer, and I plan to spend the rest of my life here in Konohana. And I also want you to know that you can talk to me about anything. We used to talk so much before, and I don't want to lose that. Do you understand that?"

She had nodded and gone in to face her grandfather. Gombe had laughed when he saw her, and Nori was sure that he hadn't believed her when she told him they had just talked at the river. He had snickered to himself all the way through supper. Even though it had lightened her heart, Nori still felt uneasy about leaving the house she had called home for much of her life, the village she had lived in for so long, and the man who was as good as her father. But as she pondered Luke's words, a strange peace fell over her. Though she was still uncertain of the coming departure, she was certain of one thing, and it was the word of her future husband.

"We will see each other again," Nori whispered to the darkness. Though it would sound odd to anyone, she wished to say those words to her home. "We will see you again," she added before she finally fell asleep, knowing she would say those words to Gombe as well.

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**A/N:** I hope that wasn't too bad. I figured that this would be a big change for anyone, especially if they're moving to a town that isn't on friendly terms with your home, so Nori would have a lot of cause to be apprehensive. When I first thought of this story, I wasn't sure if I would expand on it. I had once thought of writing some more like when they get to Bluebell, and maybe get some of Luke's thoughts on it. I may still depending on the reactions of the readers and if I can come up with something for it. But either way, I hoped you liked it.

A big thanks goes to Gentle Breezes who provided some excellent insights for this story as my beta.


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